Memories of the dead
by Little Miss Hades
Summary: "Bianca?" "What, Nico?" "Do you believe in heaven?" "I don't know, Nico."  AU, during the second Titan war. Bianca/Nico


**Nico/Bianca in a sibling-ish way. This is AU, obviously.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own PJO.**

* * *

"_Bianca?" _

_She rolled her eyes. "What Nico?"_

"_Do you believe in heaven?" _

_Ugh. Another random question. "I don't know, Nico." She answers._

"_Bianca?"_

"_What, Nico?"_

"_Then do you believe in hell?"_

**xXx**

Arrows fly everywhere as she runs, slashing her sword around, turning monsters in to dust. She feels like someone is calling her name faintly, but that's just a feeling, she's sure.

_Bianca._

She shakes her head, running toward the Empire State Building, toward Olympus. She can hear the Titan Kronos' voice, even from here.

_Stupid Titan. _She thinks. _Stupid, fucking, idiot._

She stubs her toe on a street light, but she doesn't notice the throbbing, the pain. All she notices is one small thing, that wouldn't bother others.

The buzzing in her ears stopped.

Her legs stop automatically. The buzzing in her ears has been going on since she had come to Manhattan, when the war started.

She looks around, searching for something unnatural. The ground is covered in dust and arrows. Something black catches her eye and she looks closely.

It is as if the black could melt in to the shadows, any minute. Her brain stops functioning, and she wonders why it looks so familiar.

The truth hit her faster than any arrow, even one shot by a Hunter of Artemis.

_Oh shit. _

The one on the ground is Nico diAngelo.

Her little brother.

In a flash, she is by his side, checking his body for blood. She can only spot a wound on his leg, that wouldn't be fatal.

_Won't_ be fatal.

"Nico?"

She whispers quietly, her voice hoarse. Yet the boy in front of her doesn't move, doesn't _try _to move.

Nico always answers her questions.

"Nico?"

Her voice is more commanding as she shakes his shoulders, hard. He doesn't try to move, doesn't try to answer. Again.

That's when her brain starts to function again, in fast forward, and everything comes to her at once.

_He's dead._

"No." She shakes him harder. "My ears aren't buzzing. You're just asleep Nico, right? Wake up Nico," She says urgently, "we've got to go. Something's happening over at the Empire State Building; Percy's waiting for us. Annabeth is. Thalia is. Just wake up, Nico, you lazy head, wake up!"

She laughs as the tears keep streaming down her face. She knows that she sounds hysterical, but she doesn't care. She laughs at the idea of him, taking a nap, during the middle of the Titan war. During the middle of a death match.

"Come on Nico! COME ON! You're making us late! Nico, wake up!"

The laughter that was there seconds ago is gone as she shakes his shoulder. She's not crying; she's full out sobbing as she rubs her hand against her damp cheek. Because her stupid, little, brother won't wake up.

She glances at the Stygian iron weapon on the ground, gripped tightly in Nico's hand, ignoring the feeling to crush it in her palm. It killed him. It didn't protect him.

"Nico!"

She screams out loud, because she doesn't care about killing Kronos' guts anymore. All she cares about is her little brother.

Who won't wake up.

**xXx**

"_Bianca?"_

_Her head was buried in the pillow, face red with embarrassment. _

"_Who cares about Amy Anderson and all the rest? It's not like you dropped your books on them on purpose."_

"_I do care." She said through her teeth. "Sometimes I want friends too, Nico. Don't you?_

"_Who cares about the other people, when we have each other?" _

**xXx**

Old memories come rushing, as if a dam has been broken. Nico had said that, long ago, in a safer place. His black eyes, no matter how much they lit up, were still black. His smile made her feel as if everything was well. They warmed her, made her happy in a strange, unusual way. It was as if they were telling her that everything was alright.

Unlike now.

"Come on Nico." She says quietly, trying to calm herself down. "Wake up, and let me hear your voice. Talk to me, Nico, talk to me. WAKE UP!"

She falls next to him, her chest rising and falling in uneven, short breaths. She grips his hand as tight as she can.

His unbelievably cold hand.

Her open hand, her left hand, goes to his chest, trying to find his heart. She tries to feel the _thump _of blood being carried around his body. The _thump _of a working, living heart.

Nothing.

They are siblings. Everyone calls them identical. They joke, fight, laugh together. They are there for each other because they are all they had.

Now they lie together on Manhattan sidewalk. One's heart is beating unevenly, irregularly.

One's isn't beating at all.

**xXx**

"_Bianca?" _

"_What, Nico?"_

"_You have to promise to stay alive."_

_His serious expression made her want to hug him. Instead, she laughs._

"_Only if you promise me something."_

"_What, Bianca?"_

_She grinned. "Promise that you'll live this out?"_

"_Promise."_

"_Promise."_

**xXx**

She grips his hand harder, but nothing happens. No shock. No reaction.

Just nothing.

"Why do_ I _have to be the one left? Why do _I_ have to be alone?"

Her voice pierces the air, like a spear hitting wood. She screams as loud as she can, as long as she can.

"Damn you Nico." She says quietly, the tears making rivers on her cheeks. "For not even being able to keep a simple promise."

**Okay... I know this will kill many Nico fan-girls' hearts. I killed Nico. But obviously, it's AU, so it doesn't matter.**

**Also, in my mind, when I thought of this, Nico was killed by Luke. So that's why he dies of a "wound that shouldn't be fatal".**

**Read and review!**


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